Simu Liu Champions Realistic Families in New Animated Feature ‘In Your Dreams’

The traditional animated film often presents families as idyllic units where conflict is minor and resolution is guaranteed. However, the new Netflix film “In Your Dreams,” which also opens in theaters this Friday, is determined to break that mold. It ventures into the messy, complicated, and often painful reality of family conflict, offering a story that privileges emotional honesty over fairy-tale endings. This approach is a deliberate choice by the filmmakers to reflect a world that audiences, especially young ones, will recognize as true.
At the forefront of championing this realism is actor Simu Liu. Known globally as Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi,’ the China-born Canadian star voices the father in the film. When director Alex Woo pitched the concept, Liu was immediately drawn to the opportunity to portray a family that genuinely argues. Liu expressed that the persistent “happy, always smiling” depiction of families in children’s media is not just inaccurate, but potentially damaging. He believes it is crucial for kids to see imagery of families that “aren’t perfect.”
The film itself, an adventure-comedy animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks, follows sister Stevie (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and brother Elliot (Elias Janssen). Faced with the potential dissolution of their parents’ marriage, the siblings embark on a fantastical journey into the dream world. Their mission: to find the mythical Sandman, whom they believe holds the magical power to fix their parents’ relationship and restore harmony to their home.
This quest brings them into contact with a vibrant supporting cast. Emmy and Grammy winner Cristin Milioti voices the Mom, bringing her recognized talents to the role. Joining her is “The Office” star Craig Robinson as a lovable stuffed animal named Baloney Tony. A significant emotional beat in the film is a duet between Liu and Milioti, which captures a rare moment of harmony for the strained couple, a performance Milioti described as a “beautiful moment” and a personal highlight.
Ultimately, the journey of “In Your Dreams” is one of maturation, particularly for the protagonist, Stevie. The young character, voiced by Hoang-Rappaport, begins the story convinced that she alone can “fix” her family’s problems with a single magical solution. Her arc is the discovery that there is no magic bullet for real-life issues. The film concludes with the same truth Simu Liu advocated for: Real families fight, life doesn’t always go as planned, and fixing things requires much more than a simple dream.